Don't Let Your Love Go to Waste
by skyesweetcherry
Summary: Rachel goes to NY without Finn to retake her audition, and she bumps into Jesse in the busy streets of NY, and tells him she knows exactly what he told Carmen. Set after the Nationals episode.


**Author's Note: Hello St. Berry shippers! So I got this prompt in Tumblr, and here is what I wrote for it. I really want them to get back together in S4, because the scene in the Nationals episode... it broke my heart, and more when Jesse went to speak to Carmen. **

**Anyway, here's the story. Hope you like it!**

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Rachel took off some days from Lima after graduation, because Carmen had officially given her another opportunity to retry her audition to get into NYADA, due to her outstanding performance in the Nationals Show Choir Competition 2012, which made the New Directions win.

She was bursting out of happiness, and she packed all her stuff to go to New York for some days. Finn wasn't going with her because he didn't have enough money to afford the trip, but Rachel understood it perfectly.

She did her audition once again performing the song I Was Here by Beyoncé, which just gave her the immediate ticket to get into NYADA.

"Rachel Berry, I have to say I'm impressed." Carmen started, writing some more notes before turning her full attention into Rachel.

"Well," Rachel started laughing nervously. "I was practicing this song for a few days, and I decided this time that it was the right choice."

"Not only you did an outstanding performance here in this theater, but what you did at Chicago was by far one of the better covers I have heard of Celine's song in this decade." Carmen said.

Rachel was getting out of the stage, thanking Carmen for the opportunity and while she was on her way to the exit, Carmen started talking again.

"You know, this guy came to talk to me when we were in Chicago, and he told me that you were by far the most talented person he had ever met." Rachel immediately was in awe, as she thought that Finn was the one who went to talk to Carmen. "He also told me I wouldn't regret it. I guess he was right. His name was Jesse St. James, once he auditioned for NYADA but he didn't get in."

As Carmen said those last words, the sweet smile that was written across her face faded into a frown full of confusion.

She was walking down the busy streets of New York; the sky was cloudy, announcing that it'll start raining in a few hours. She was searching for a coffee shop, but she still wondered why Jesse St. James, of all people, would do something nice to her. Wasn't she some kind of… competence to him? He should be enraged at her because she won Nationals, not doing something nice that will help her rise as a star, and more when he didn't get into NYADA.

She was so distracted that she didn't notice where she was walking, and she bumped into someone that was taller than her. It wasn't until she got out of her reverie that she realized who the person was. That face couldn't be mistaken, neither that brown curly hair that now was tamed by several hair products, neither that smile of his own that could make Rachel's world spin around.

She had bumped into Jesse St. James of all people.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going…" Rachel mumbled lowly, clearly embarrassed.

"It's okay," Jesse shrugged and smiled. "What are you doing here, Rachel? I thought you were back at Lima celebrating with your friends the Nationals win."

"Well yeah, I should be back at Lima but-" Rachel wondered if she should mention her NYADA audition. _Maybe he even knew that I was auditioning again, _she thought.

"-you came here to retake your audition." Jesse finished her sentence. Rachel gave him an amazed look, the same look Jesse had gave to her when she mentioned the Danny Zuko reference.

"Yes…" She trailed off. "Actually, Carmen told me that you had recommended her to accept me into NYADA." Jesse just chuckled, and kept avoiding Rachel's stare, biting his lower lip. "I was just wondering, why?"

"Why did I tell Carmen the truth?" Jesse asked, and Rachel nodded. "Because you _are_ probably the most talented person back in that auditorium; you were born to be into that school, and if I didn't make sure you got in, then I'll probably be a liar because I broke a promise."

"What promise?" Rachel asked confused but Jesse just smiled. Rachel remembered the time in her sophomore year, when Jesse promised that he would do everything he could to make her dreams come true. "I thought you didn't even remember that…"

"I'm Jesse St. James. I remember _everything_," He said and Rachel blushed. They both stared into each other's eyes, and Rachel couldn't understand how they fell apart. He had regretted everything he did to Rachel, so why was it so hard to give him a second chance?

"Thank you, Jesse. I will be forever in debt with you." Jesse chuckled at her choice of words.

"You don't have to be." Jesse assured her. "Now, do you wanna go and get some coffee? It's going to start raining soon anyway."

"I'd love to." Rachel smiled, and took Jesse's hand, and as they walked away, hand in hand, they spent the rest of the day talking about how life has been for them, and suddenly Rachel felt just like the first time she had met Jesse at the Sheets music store.

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**Author's Note: Some feedback would be nice, so if you have time & you liked this story, please review! **


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